Correlation of main climatic glacial-interglacial and loess-palaeosol cycles in the Pleistocene of Poland and Ukraine

Abstract

An integrated analysis of climatic rhythms in the territory between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea is presented. There is precise agreement between the Pleistocene climatic changes in Poland and Ukraine, expressed on the one hand by continental glaciations and loess deposition, and on the other hand by interglacial lake deposition and the development of soil-forming processes. These changes are expressed by eleven (from A to K) climatic cycles. Each of them comprised a glaciation and a following interglacial. The number and duration of these cycles seem to support their possible correlation with 110-90 kyrs astronomic cycles. In the older cycles (from F to K) there were presumably more glaciations and separating interglacials than accepted at present. Grouping either of two or three climatic cycles into megacycles is presumably due to the varied duration of the former, either because of shorter interglacials (e.g. Eemian) or glaciations (e.g. Liviecian). The recognition of climatic megacycles could result from grouping some Pleistocene glaciations into megaglaciations in order to establish close correlation to the classic scheme of the Alpine glaciations.